New pet (rescued)

[Ice.creame]

hi , my little brother saw a kitten (approximately 5-8weeks old) in the street and put him in a box in our house . when i got home he told me about the kitten he's gray and has blue eyes .. he's cute and friendly .. so i kept him because he dont have a home .. it's my first time owning a cat so can anyone help me?

P.S he still dont have a name and im still not sure if he's a boy or a girl..




thanks

[racinghamster]

First of all, I would make sure it sees a vet to make sure it`s healthy and doesn`t have any fleas or parasites. Was it a feral kitten? If it is, I would worry about it carrying feline aids or anything else that cats can pick up.

If you have a hamster, I would also be concerned about having a cat in the house.

[lucyeleanor]

First of all, you need to get the little one to the vets for a check-up. It could be much younger than you think and it might not be fully weaned off of it's mother's milk, so it would need supplements. It will probably need flea and worm treatments, not to mention the eventual cost of neutering, vaccinations, micro chipping, etc. How healthy does it seem? Is it eating and passing food ok? Try to pinch up the scruff of it's neck, if it doesn't go back quickly the little one will be dehydrated and will probably need some re hydration therapies. It is also very likely that if it is the kit of a street cat that it could have FIV. I hope that you are aware of the costs of a rescued cat and that you are prepared for whatever will be thrown your way.

You also don't know why it was in the street, is it lost or has the mother abandoned it? It could be a very ill kitten or alternatively it could be someone's kitten which has gotten out. It would be worth putting up some posters just saying you have found a kitten, but with-hold one important detail for people to give as 'proof', a distinctive marking perhaps or the colour, to stop people just trying to get the kitten off of you.

Please be aware that these stories do not always have a happy ending, I worked at a rescue and I saw a lot of kittens who were abandoned young, by owners or mothers, and unfortunately quite a few of them didn't make it.

Other than that, kitten food, preferably not Whiskers as it is quite rich. You want something like Felix or Kitekat. There should be wet food down always, replenished once the bowl is empty for now, and a full bowl of dry food always. A bowl of fresh water always too. Don't feed milk, cats are lactose intolerant, you would be much better to feed kitten milk. You will need a small litter tray, but I imagine the little one won't be trained so you might have to start that process. Somewhere soft and warm to sleep, near its food, possibly a stuffed toy as if it is a young kitten the prospect of sleeping alone might be a little frightening.

Hope this helps.